The early bird

This summer has been all about adventures for our family. We have not had a specific plan, but wake each day, look outside and figure out where to go and what to do. It’s way outside of my comfort zone as a list maker and planner, but it’s been great. The lils have really gotten into the spirit, and more often than not, our breakfast conversations start with a “where is our adventure today?” from one of them.

There are a few things that we have planned out, things that need some arrangements made in advance. One of these things is our trip to Montreal tomorrow. I happened upon a great sale from VIA Rail earlier this summer, and booked tickets for the family to and explore a wee bit. The lils have been asking for years to travel on the train, but this was the first sale that made it possible for the whole family to go. The catch is that we haven’t told them yet that we are going by train.

Given that I am the world’s worst secret keeper, I have not spoken to the lils very much about the arrangements for this trip. It’s getting harder and harder as we get closer to departure, and today was filled with a multitude of mines that I narrowly avoided. We can’t bring all of your pillows and blankets because it is only for one night and we are trying to bring fewer bags. We need more room in the back of the car because we might buy some stuff! We plan on only using the metro while in the city because it is FUN (well that part is true.) They have, for the most part, accepted these reasons without question.

The one story that I thought would be the hardest sell was the really early departure, a necessary evil given the 6:00AM departure of the train. I built it up and convinced them that leaving early gives us a really full day in Montreal, that it would be loads of fun, that we would beat the traffic… and they bought it. All was well until I looked at our tickets and saw that the train for this trip leaves at 9:30; it’s our next trip that leaves at the crack of dawn. I tried to backpedal and come up with reasons why we were now leaving at a civilized time, but Woo wanted to hear nothing of it. I can’t spoil the surprise, so I cross my fingers and hope that he sleeps in just a bit. Of course when I last checked in on him, he was trying to set the alarm in his room for 4:30. I hope that early bird makes the coffee.